Long wait for terrific Journey (Review)

[Barb]

http://www.miamiherald.com/234/story/575779.html

JOURNEY

Revelation

Nomota LLC
***

The revelation of Journey's new album and lineup is not that this is the best Journey album in 25 years or that the San Francisco band found its new lead singer via YouTube.

That part, actually, is a nice story. When Journey once again needed a front man, founding guitarist Neal Schon trolled the popular video website YouTube and found a Filipino singer covering Journey tunes. The guy, Arnel Pineda, 40, had been homeless at 12 after his mother died and later sang for various bands in the Philippines. When Schon, struck by Pineda's tenor and charisma, contacted him last year via e-mail, Pineda thought it was a hoax.

Revelation, available exclusively at Wal-Mart and the band's website, features a disc of 11 new songs, plus a CD of 11 re-recorded Journey classics and a DVD of a concert shot in March at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood. Last week, the package sold more than 100,000 copies to become Journey's first Top 5 album in 12 years.

Pineda sounds remarkably like his idol, former vocalist Steve Perry. His high tenor caresses the ballads and soars on the rockers, especially evident on the studiously recorded covers. Journey has had four singers in Perry's spot; technically, drummer Deen Castronovo isn't a replacement, but he handles lead vocals on Mother, Father on the concert DVD and nails that titanium Perry tenor.

Pineda's energy seems to have inspired his revitalized bandmates because Revelation sounds like the true sequel to the 1983 smash Frontiers.Faith in the Heartland, seems to have wandered in off of the remakes disc because it's a re-recording from Journey's 2005 CD, Generations. And the new Jonathan Cain-written ballad, After All These Years, sounds just like the 1983 classic Faithfully. Where Did I Lose Your Love also boasts a hook and the feel of one of Journey's best rockers, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).

But no one seeks out Journey for originality. Fans come for well-crafted, über mainstream arena rock, and Revelation delivers these guilty pleasures flawlessly and at a fair price, too: $11.88 for the whole bundle.

Pod Picks:Where Did I Lose Your Love, Wildest Dream.

[DrFU]

Reads like the editor chopped the hell out of it.

But very cool nonetheless...

[Saint John]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

[conversationpc]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

I'm not getting "Wildest Dream" as much as some others here. Next to the instrumental, it's my least favorite...and I say "least" because it's still a decent song.

[Barb]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

I'm not getting "Wildest Dream" as much as some others here. Next to the instrumental, it's my least favorite...and I say "least" because it's still a decent song.

I like it okay, but it's not one of my favorites. I ALWAYS skip What it Takes to Win though.

[NealIsGod]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

I'm not getting "Wildest Dream" as much as some others here. Next to the instrumental, it's my least favorite...and I say "least" because it's still a decent song.

I agree. Throwaway track.

[separate_wayz]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

I'm not getting "Wildest Dream" as much as some others here. Next to the instrumental, it's my least favorite...and I say "least" because it's still a decent song.

I agree. Throwaway track.

"What It Takes To Win" ..... how do you even say anything about that one? Good lord -- what was Jonathan Cain thinking?!? I don't think I've ever heard so many cliches strung together in one song, ever. If it had one more cliche, the song would reach maximum galactic density and collapse on itself and become a black hole, sucking in all matter and anti-matter in the universe methinks. I pray to God, Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Zeus, Buddha, Vishnu, and the Justice League of America that Journey NEVER play this song in concert.

"Wildest Dream" is a fun song, especially the bass drum fill at the end of the song -- I'm glad Deen got a chance to go wild himself, for once.

[brywool]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

I'm not getting "Wildest Dream" as much as some others here. Next to the instrumental, it's my least favorite...and I say "least" because it's still a decent song.

WD is a killer track. Nice to hear Journey really rock.

[brywool]

"What It Takes To Win" ..... how do you even say anything about that one? Good lord -- what was Jonathan Cain thinking?!? I don't think I've ever heard so many cliches strung together in one song, ever. If it had one more cliche, the song would reach maximum galactic density and collapse on itself and become a black hole, sucking in all matter and anti-matter in the universe methinks. I pray to God, Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Zeus, Buddha, Vishnu, and the Justice League of America that Journey NEVER play this song in concert.
.

I like what it takes to win, but lyrically, yeah I have to agree. It's not as bad as the Euro bonus track. That song is the only song that doesn't sound like Journey at all to me. It's not a great track by any stretch.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE HALL OF JUSTICE...

[MarcelJordan]

"What It Takes To Win" ..... how do you even say anything about that one? Good lord -- what was Jonathan Cain thinking?!? I don't think I've ever heard so many cliches strung together in one song, ever. If it had one more cliche, the song would reach maximum galactic density and collapse on itself and become a black hole, sucking in all matter and anti-matter in the universe methinks. I pray to God, Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Zeus, Buddha, Vishnu, and the Justice League of America that Journey NEVER play this song in concert.
.

I like what it takes to win, but lyrically, yeah I have to agree. It's not as bad as the Euro bonus track. That song is the only song that doesn't sound like Journey at all to me. It's not a great track by any stretch.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE HALL OF JUSTICE...

Let it take you back,I think production wise seems more upto date (catering to today's rock tunes). Yes, it doesn't sound like Journey but if you want to be far away from the "legacy" sound, this song is it, IMO. Its a tune that I listen to more often.

To each his own.

[conversationpc]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

I'm not getting "Wildest Dream" as much as some others here. Next to the instrumental, it's my least favorite...and I say "least" because it's still a decent song.

WD is a killer track. Nice to hear Journey really rock.

I keep hearing people say how hard this song rocks, and it does rock to a degree, but there are several songs on the last three albums that rock harder than this one.

[NealIsGod]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

I'm not getting "Wildest Dream" as much as some others here. Next to the instrumental, it's my least favorite...and I say "least" because it's still a decent song.

WD is a killer track. Nice to hear Journey really rock.

I keep hearing people say how hard this song rocks, and it does rock to a degree, but there are several songs on the last three albums that rock harder than this one.

It doesn't "rock". It hops around like a sissy.

[Centaure]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

I like Wildest Dream better, but WDILYL is a good song.

[bluejeangirl76]

"And the new Jonathan Cain-written ballad, After All These Years, sounds just like the 1983 classic Faithfully."

I laughed at that. Does that dog do any other tricks?
I can just picture being near him and his cell phone rings.... "Highway run...."

[Red13JoePa]

Where Did I Lose Your Love and Wildest Dream are in constant rotation for me. 2 great fucking songs.

All 22 in constant rotation for me....really getting a good handle on the album, but yes WD and WDILYL? remain HUGE standouts. I love the rythm guitars on the latter, the crunchy BRR...BBBBRRRRRRR bbbbrrrrrrrr

[Don]

You know for some reason when I hear the Beginning of 'After all these years' I expect to hear Lee Greenwood and God Bless The USA. It has that type of sound to it. I think this song is gonna end up being covered by Trisha Yearwood or someone along those lines and be a country hit somewhere down the road.

[ParkRNDL]

You know for some reason when I hear the Beginning of 'After all these years' I expect to hear Lee Greenwood and God Bless The USA. It has that type of sound to it. I think this song is gonna end up being covered by Trisha Yearwood or someone along those lines and be a country hit somewhere down the road.

Ya know, now that you mention it, country has been doing that a lot... and I could TOTALLY see it redone as a country song. When it happens, remind us that you called it...

--rick